E-cigarette and re-charging pack

ABSTRACT

A rechargeable pack is provided for containing and recharging an e-cigarette. The pack includes a pack battery; a first connector which is electrically connectable to an external power source; a first recharging mechanism for re-charging the pack battery using the external power source when the first connector is electrically connected to the external power source; a second connector which is electrically connectable to the e-cigarette when the e-cigarette is received within the pack; and a second recharging mechanism for re-charging the e-cigarette using the pack battery when the e-cigarette is electrically connected to the second connector. The second recharging mechanism can be configured to provide protection against the pack battery providing excessive current through the second connector.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/328,786filed Jan. 24, 2017, which in turn is a National Phase entry of PCTApplication No. PCT/GB2015/052151, filed on 24 Jul. 2015, which claimspriority to GB Patent Application No. 1413433.2, filed on 29 Jul. 2014,which are hereby fully incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to an e-cigarette, such as an electronicvapor provision system or an electronic nicotine delivery system, and are-charging pack for the e-cigarette.

BACKGROUND

Electronic vapor provision systems, electronic nicotine deliverysystems, etc., which are collectively referred to herein ase-cigarettes, generally contain a reservoir of liquid which is to bevaporized. When a user sucks or draws on the device, this activates aheater to vaporize a small amount of liquid, which is then inhaled bythe user. Most e-cigarettes include a re-chargeable battery forsupplying electrical power to the heater and other electrical/electroniccomponents, such as a sensor to detect inhalation. Some e-cigaretteshave a cartridge section. After the nicotine or other liquid in thiscartridge has been exhausted, the empty cartridge can be removed orseparated from the e-cigarette and replaced with a new cartridgecontaining further nicotine.

E-cigarettes are often supplied in packs for protection and easyportability. Such packs may accommodate multiple e-cigarettes and/orreplacement cartridges, thereby offering a backup facility if onee-cigarette (or its cartridge) is exhausted. An e-cigarette pack mayalso have the ability to re-charge an e-cigarette, again helping toensure good operating availability of the e-cigarette for a user. Such apack may be provided with a cylindrical hole for receiving ane-cigarette for recharging, the hole generally reflecting the elongated,cylindrical shape of an e-cigarette. When the e-cigarette is located inthe hole, the battery can be re-charged by a suitable wired or wirelessconnection (a wireless connection may rely upon induction charging). Insome packs, the cylindrical hole may receive the entire e-cigarette forre-charging, while in other packs only a portion of the e-cigarette maybe received into the hole.

In some devices, the pack must be connected to a power supply, e.g. amains outlet or USB connection, during re-charging of the e-cigarettebattery. In this case, the pack is typically acting as a convenientdevice for holding and interfacing to the e-cigarette duringre-charging. In other devices, the pack itself is provided with abattery (or other charge storage facility). The pack battery allows thee-cigarette to be re-charged from the pack without the need for the packto be connected to an external power supply during the re-charging,thereby providing greater convenience for a user.

The pack battery will be depleted in due course, and so is generallyprovided with its own re-charging facility—typically again reliant uponsome form of mains or USB connection. However, since the pack is largerthan an e-cigarette, it can accommodate a larger battery and thereforethe pack does not have to be re-charged as frequently as an e-cigarette.For example, the charge capacity of a typical e-cigarette battery may beapproximately 60 mAh, whereas the charge capacity of a typical packbattery might be in the region of 800 mAh. Accordingly, the pack batteryis capable of re-charging the e-cigarette a few times at least beforethe pack battery itself needs to be re-charged.

Such a multiple or hierarchical arrangement of separately chargeablesystems, namely firstly an e-cigarette and secondly a pack for thee-cigarette, is relatively rare. In contrast, most re-chargeabledevices, e.g. mobile (cell) phones, are usually connected directly to amains-powered charging supply (or else to an in-car charging supply).Furthermore, when the pack is connected to an external power supply, thepack may charge both the pack battery and an e-cigarette batterysimultaneously, i.e. some electrical power from the external source isdirected to the pack battery, while at the same time, some electricalpower from the external source is directed to the e-cigarette forre-charging the battery within the e-cigarette.

It is desirable for the operation and (re)charging of an e-cigarette andassociated pack to be as safe, reliable and convenient for a user aspossible.

SUMMARY

A rechargeable pack is provided for containing and recharging ane-cigarette. A rechargeable pack is provided for containing andrecharging an e-cigarette. The pack includes a pack battery; a firstconnector which is electrically connectable to an external power source;a first recharging mechanism for re-charging the pack battery using theexternal power source when the first connector is electrically connectedto the external power source; a second connector which is electricallyconnectable to the e-cigarette when the e-cigarette is received withinthe pack; and a second recharging mechanism for re-charging thee-cigarette using the pack battery when the e-cigarette is electricallyconnected to the second connector. The second recharging mechanism canbe configured to provide protection against the pack battery providingexcessive current through the second connector.

The present approach is not restricted to specific embodiments such asset out herein, but features from different embodiments may be combined,modified, omitted or replaced by the skilled person according to thecircumstances of any given implementation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the disclosure will now be described in detail byway of example only with reference to the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic (exploded) diagram of an e-cigarette in accordancewith some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic (simplified) diagram of a body of the e-cigaretteof FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a cartomizer of the e-cigarette of FIG.1 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of certain details of a connector at oneend of the body of the e-cigarette of FIG. 1 in accordance with someembodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cap with a connector at another end of the body ofthe e-cigarette of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the main functional components of thebody of the e-cigarette of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pack for receiving and accommodating an e-cigarettein accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 illustrates the main components that are housed within the bodyof the pack of FIG. 7 in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate (in an exploded view) an e-cigaretteconnection assembly 700 of the pack of FIG. 7 in accordance with someembodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of safety components of the e-cigaretteof FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of safety components of the pack of FIG.7 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic vapor provision systemsuch as an e-cigarette 10 in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure (not to scale). The e-cigarette has a generally cylindricalshape, extending along a longitudinal axis indicated by dashed line LA,and comprises two main components, namely a body 20 and a cartomizer 30.The cartomizer 30 includes an internal chamber containing a reservoir ofnicotine, a vaporizer (such as a heater), and a mouthpiece 35. Thereservoir may be a foam matrix or any other structure for retaining thenicotine until such time that it is required to be delivered to thevaporizer. The cartomizer 30 also includes a heater for vaporizing thenicotine and may further include a wick or similar facility to transporta small amount of nicotine from the reservoir to a heating location onor adjacent the heater.

The body 20 includes a re-chargeable cell or battery to provide power tothe e-cigarette 10 and a circuit board for generally controlling thee-cigarette 10. When the heater receives power from the battery, ascontrolled by the circuit board, the heater vaporizes the nicotine andthis vapor is then inhaled by a user through the mouthpiece.

The body 20 and cartomizer 30 are detachable from one another byseparating in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis LA, as shownin FIG. 1, but are joined together when the device 10 is in use by aconnection, indicated schematically in FIG. 1 as 25A and 25B, to providemechanical and electrical connectivity between the body 20 and thecartomizer 30. The electrical connector on the body 20 that is used toconnect to the cartomizer 30 also serves as a socket for connecting acharging device (not shown) when the body 20 is detached from thecartomizer 30. The other end of the charging device can be plugged intoa USB socket to re-charge the cell in the body 20 of the e-cigarette 10.In other implementations, a cable may be provided for direct connectionbetween the electrical connector on the body 20 and a USB socket.

The e-cigarette 10 is provided with one or more holes (not shown inFIG. 1) for air inlet. These holes connect to an air passage through thee-cigarette 10 to the mouthpiece 35. When a user inhales through themouthpiece 35, air is drawn into this air passage through the one ormore air inlet holes, which are suitably located on the outside of thee-cigarette 10. This airflow (or the resulting change in pressure) isdetected by a pressure sensor that in turn activates the heater tovaporize the nicotine from the cartridge. The airflow passes through,and combines with, the nicotine vapor, and this combination of airflowand nicotine vapor then passes out of the mouthpiece 35 to be inhaled bya user. The cartomizer 30 may be detached from the body 20 and disposedof when the supply of nicotine is exhausted (and replaced with anothercartomizer if so desired).

It will be appreciated that the e-cigarette 10 shown in FIG. 1 ispresented by way of example, and various other implementations can beadopted. For example, in some embodiments, the cartomizer 30 is providedas two separable components, namely a cartridge comprising the nicotinereservoir and mouthpiece (which can be replaced when the nicotine fromthe reservoir is exhausted), and a vaporizer comprising a heater (whichis generally retained). In other embodiments, the e-cigarette 10, thebody 20 and the cartomizer 30 may be joined together permanently, so ineffect they are just a single component. Some such unitary (one-piece)e-cigarettes may allow replenishing of a nicotine reservoir whenexhausted using some suitable (re)supply mechanism; other one-piecee-cigarettes may be disposed of once the nicotine reservoir has beenexhausted. Note that this latter type of device still generally supportsre-charging because the battery will normally become depleted morequickly than the nicotine reservoir. The skilled person will be aware ofmany further possible designs and implementations of an e-cigarette.

FIG. 2 is a schematic (simplified) diagram of the body 20 of thee-cigarette 10 of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure. FIG. 2 can generally be regarded as a cross-section in aplane through the longitudinal axis LA of the e-cigarette 10. Note thatvarious components and details of the body 20, e.g. such as wiring andmore complex shaping, have been omitted from FIG. 2 for reasons ofclarity.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body 20 includes a battery or cell 210 forpowering the e-cigarette 10, as well as a chip, such as an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC) or microcontroller for controllingthe e-cigarette 10. The ASIC may be positioned alongside or at one endof the battery 210. The ASIC is attached to a sensor unit 215 to detectan inhalation on mouthpiece 35 (or alternatively the sensor unit 215 maybe provided on the ASIC itself). In response to such a detection, theASIC provides power from the battery or cell 210 to a heater in thecartomizer to vaporize nicotine into the airflow which is inhaled by auser.

The body 20 further includes a cap 225 to seal and protect the far(distal) end of the e-cigarette 10. There is an air inlet hole providedin or adjacent to the cap 225 to allow air to enter the body 20 and flowpast the sensor unit 215 when a user inhales on the mouthpiece 35. Thisairflow therefore allows the sensor unit 215 to detect the userinhalation. The cap 225 may also comprise a pair of electrical contactswhich allow the e-cigarette 10 to be charged using these electricalcontacts (in addition to, or instead of, USB charging or the like usingthe connector 25B). This is explained in more detail below.

At the opposite end of the body 20 from the cap 225 is the connector 25Bfor joining the body 20 to the cartomizer 30. The connector 25B providesmechanical and electrical connectivity between the body 20 and thecartomizer 30. The connector 25B includes a body connector 240, which ismetallic (silver-plated in some embodiments) to serve as one terminalfor electrical connection (positive or negative) to the cartomizer 30.The connector 25B further includes an electrical contact 250 to providea second terminal for electrical connection to the cartomizer 30 ofopposite polarity to the first terminal, namely body connector 240. Theelectrical contact 250 is mounted on a coil spring 255. When the body 20is attached to the cartomizer 30, the connector 25A on the cartomizer 30pushes against the electrical contact 250 in such a manner as tocompress the coil spring in an axial direction, i.e. in a directionparallel to (co-aligned with) the longitudinal axis LA. In view of theresilient nature of the spring 255, this compression biases the spring255 to expand, which has the effect of pushing the electrical contact250 firmly against connector 25A, thereby helping to ensure goodelectrical connectivity between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30. Thebody connector 240 and the electrical contact 250 are separated by atrestle 260, which is made of a non-conductor (such as plastic) toprovide good insulation between the two electrical terminals. Thetrestle 260 is shaped to assist with the mutual mechanical engagement ofconnectors 25A and 25B.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the cartomizer 30 of the e-cigarette 10of FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 3can generally be regarded as a cross-section in a plane through thelongitudinal axis LA of the e-cigarette 10. Note that various componentsand details of the body 20, e.g. such as wiring and more complexshaping, have been omitted from FIG. 3 for reasons of clarity.

The cartomizer 30 includes an air passage 355 extending along thecentral (longitudinal) axis of the cartomizer 30 from the mouthpiece 35to the connector 25A for joining the cartomizer 30 to the body 20. Areservoir of nicotine 360 is provided around the air passage 335. Thisreservoir 360 may be implemented, for example, by providing cotton orfoam soaked in nicotine. The cartomizer 30 also includes a heater 365for heating nicotine from reservoir 360 to generate nicotine vapor toflow through air passage 355 and out through mouthpiece 35 in responseto a user inhaling on the e-cigarette 10. The heater 365 is poweredthrough lines 366 and 367, which are in turn connected to opposingpolarities (positive and negative, or vice versa) of the battery 210 viaconnector 25A (the details of the wiring between the power lines 366 and367 and connector 25A are omitted from FIG. 3).

The connector 25A includes an inner electrode 375, which may besilver-plated or made of some other suitable metal. When the cartomizer30 is connected to the body 20, the inner electrode 375 contacts theelectrical contact 250 of the body 20 to provide a first electrical pathbetween the cartomizer and the body. In particular, as the connectors25A and 25B are engaged, the inner electrode 375 pushes against theelectrical contact 250 so as to compress the coil spring 255, therebyhelping to ensure good electrical contact between the inner electrode375 and the electrical contact 250.

The inner electrode 375 is surrounded by an insulating ring 372, whichmay be made of plastic, rubber, silicone, or any other suitablematerial. The insulating ring 372 is surrounded by the cartomizerconnector 370, which may be silver-plated or made of some other suitablemetal or conducting material. When the cartomizer 30 is connected to thebody 20, the cartomizer connector 370 contacts the body connector 240 ofthe body 20 to provide a second electrical path between the cartomizerand the body. In other words, the inner electrode 375 and the cartomizerconnector 370 serve as positive and negative terminals (or vice versa)for supplying power from the battery 210 in the body to the heater 365in the cartomizer 30 via supply lines 366 and 367 as appropriate.

The cartomizer connector 370 is provided with two lugs or tabs 380A,380B, which extend in opposite directions away from the longitudinalaxis of the e-cigarette 10. These tabs are used to provide a bayonetfitting in conjunction with the body connector 240 for connecting thecartomizer 30 to the body 20. This bayonet fitting provides a secure androbust connection between the cartomizer 30 and the body 20, so that thecartomizer 30 and body 20 are held in a fixed position relative to oneanother, without wobble or flexing, and the likelihood of any accidentaldisconnection is very small. At the same time, the bayonet fittingprovides simple and rapid connection and disconnection by an insertionfollowed by a rotation for connection, and a rotation (in the reversedirection) followed by withdrawal for disconnection. It will beappreciated that other embodiments may use a different form ofconnection between the body 20 and the cartomizer 30, such as a snap fitor a screw connection.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of certain details of the connector 25B atthe end of the body 20 in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure (but omitting for clarity most of the internal structure ofthe connector as shown in FIG. 2, such as trestle 260). In particular,FIG. 4 shows the external housing 201 of the body 20, which generallyhas the form of a cylindrical tube. This external housing 201 maycomprise, for example, an inner tube of metal with an outer covering ofpaper or similar.

The body connector 240 extends from this external housing 201 of thebody 20. The body connector as shown in FIG. 4 comprises two mainportions, a shaft portion 241 in the shape of a hollow cylindrical tube,which is sized to fit just inside the external housing 201 of the body20, and a lip portion 242 which is directed in a radially outwarddirection, away from the main longitudinal axis (LA) of the e-cigarette10. Surrounding the shaft portion 241 of the body connector 240, wherethe shaft portion 241 does not overlap with the external housing 201, isa collar or sleeve 290, which is again in a shape of a cylindrical tube.The collar 290 is retained between the lip portion 242 of the bodyconnector 240 and the external housing 201 of the body 20, whichtogether prevent movement of the collar 290 in an axial direction (i.e.parallel to axis LA). However, collar 290 may be free to rotate aroundthe shaft portion 241 (and hence also axis LA).

As mentioned above, the cap 225 is provided with an air inlet hole toallow air to flow past sensor 215 when a user inhales on the mouthpiece35. However, the majority of air that enters the device 10 when a userinhales flows through collar 290 and body connector 240 as indicated bythe two arrows in FIG. 4. (The collar 290 and the body connector 240 areprovided with holes, not shown in FIG. 4, to support such airflow.)

FIG. 5 shows the cap or tip 225 of the body 20 of the e-cigarette 10 inaccordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. The cap 225comprises a connector 900 comprising two electrical contacts 900A, 900B.The electrical contact 900B is a circular point-type contact located atthe centre of the cap 225. The electrical contact 900A is a circularring which is concentric with the contact 900A and provided around theoutside or rim of the cap 225. It will, however, be appreciated that anyother shape configuration of the electrical contacts could be used. Theelectrical contacts 900A, 900B are typically made of metal and areconnectable to positive and negative electrical terminals of arecharging e-cigarette pack so as to (re)charge the e-cigarette (asexplained in more detail later on). The tip of the e-cigarette, inparticular connector 900, may be covered by a user-removable protectivetab or similar while shipping or before use to protect against thebattery 210 accidentally discharging prior to first use by a consumer.This helps to ensure that the battery 210 is delivered in an acceptablestate to the consumer, and also that damage which might be caused byheating due to unexpected current flows from the battery 210 is avoided.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the main functional components of thebody 20 of the e-cigarette 10 of FIG. 1 in accordance with someembodiments of the disclosure. These components may be mounted on thecircuit board provided within the body 20, although depending on theparticular configuration, in some embodiments, one or more of thecomponents may instead be accommodated in the body 20 to operate inconjunction with the circuit board, but is/are not physically mounted onthe circuit board itself.

The body 20 includes the sensor unit 215 located in or adjacent to theair path through the body 20 from the air inlet to the air outlet (tothe vaporizer). The sensor unit 215 includes a pressure drop sensor 562and temperature sensor 563 (also in or adjacent to this air path). Thebody 20 further includes a small speaker 558 and an electrical socket orconnector 25B for connecting to the cartomizer 30 or to a USB chargingdevice. (The body may also be provided with a tip connector 900, such asdiscussed above in relation to FIG. 5.)

The microcontroller (e.g. an ASIC) 555 includes a CPU 550. Theoperations of the CPU 550 and other electronic components, such as thepressure sensor 562, are generally controlled at least in part bysoftware programs running on the CPU 550 (or other component). Suchsoftware programs may be stored in non-volatile memory, such as ROM,which can be integrated into the microcontroller 555 itself, or providedas a separate component. The CPU 550 may access the ROM to load andexecute individual software programs as and when required. Themicrocontroller 555 also contains appropriate communications interfaces(and control software) for communicating as appropriate with otherdevices in the body 10, such as the pressure sensor 562.

The CPU 550 controls the speaker 558 to produce audio output to reflectconditions or states within the e-cigarette 10, such as a low batterywarning. Different signals for signaling different states or conditionsmay be provided by utilizing tones or beeps of different pitch and/orduration, and/or by providing multiple such beeps or tones. Thee-cigarette 10 may also be provided with an LED indicator (instead of oras well as speaker 558) to provide visual output to a user, such as awarning of low battery charge.

As noted above, the e-cigarette 10 provides an air path from the airinlet through the e-cigarette, past the pressure drop sensor 562 and theheater (in the vaporizer or cartomizer 30), to the mouthpiece 35. Thuswhen a user inhales on the mouthpiece of the e-cigarette 10, the CPU 550detects such inhalation based on information from the pressure dropsensor 562. In response to this detection, the CPU 550 supplies powerfrom the battery or cell 210 to the heater 365, which thereby heats andvaporizes the nicotine from the wick for inhalation by the user. Thelevel of power supplied to the heater 365 may be controlled on the basisof information from the pressure sensor and/or the temperature sensor563, for example, to help regulate the nicotine delivery to the useraccording to the current ambient air pressure and temperature.

FIG. 7 illustrates a pack 100 for receiving and accommodating ane-cigarette 10 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.The pack comprises a body 120 which is provided with a hinged lid 140that can open and close. The body 120 comprises an outer case or housing125 which is fitted with an insert 130. More particularly, the outercase 125 has an opening at the top, i.e. the end at which the lid islocated, and the insert 130 is fitted into, and generally closes, thisopening. The insert 130 itself is provided with two openings or holesthat extend down into the body 120 of the pack 100. The first opening132 comprises a substantially circular hole (in terms of cross-sectionalshape). The first opening 132 is surrounded by an annular light element133. The second opening 131 in the insert comprises a pair of linkedholes (only one of which is easily visible in FIG. 7). The openings 132and 131 (and more particularly, each of the pair of holes formed byopening 131) can be used to receive an appropriately shaped object, suchas an e-cigarette, a spare or used cartridge, etc. The dimensions ofpack 100 are generally arranged so that an e-cigarette accommodatedwithin openings 132 or 131 protrudes slightly out of this opening. Thisallows a user to readily discern the contents of pack 100 (as alsohelped by making lid 140 transparent), and also facilitates removal by auser of an e-cigarette located within one of these openings.

The pack 100 is further provided with a set of LED lights 128. These areshown separated from the casing 125 in FIG. 7 in an exploded view, butin the assembled pack are integrated into the body 120 so as to lieflush with the outer casing 125. These LED lights 128 can be used toindicate the charging state of the pack 100, for example, whether it isfully charged, partly charged, or fully discharged. The LED lights 128may also be used to indicate whether or not the pack 100 is currentlycharging (being charged). Such charging may be accomplished via a (minior micro) USB link using a (mini or micro) USB connector located on theunderside of the pack 100 (not visible in FIG. 7).

FIG. 8 illustrates the main components that are housed within the body120 of the pack 100, more particularly, within housing 125, inaccordance with some embodiments of the disclosure (some minorcomponents, such as internal wiring, are omitted for reasons ofclarity). The body includes a battery unit 150 comprising a battery 151,a printed circuit board (PCB) 154, and a switch 152. The body 120 can beseen to include a hinge or axle 134, which provides a pivot about whichthe lid 140 is able to open and shut. The battery unit 150, includingthe switch 152, is located substantially below the hinge 134. The switch152 is activated as the lid 140 is opened or closed, and this activationof the switch 152 then, in turn, is able to trigger activation of theLED lights, etc.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the insert 130 extends substantially to thebottom of the outer casing 125. The insert defines a substantiallycylindrical tube 132A extending down from opening 132 (see FIG. 7),which is able to receive and hold an e-cigarette. The insert 130 furtherincludes two further substantially cylindrical tubes 131A, 131B, whichoverlap one another, extending down from opening 131 (see FIG. 7) with a“figure-of-8” cross-section. Note that the bottom of tubes 131A and 131Bmay be closed by the insert itself 130, or may be open, but abuttingagainst the bottom of the outer casing 125, which would then have theeffect of again closing the bottom of the tubes 131A and 131B in orderto retain an e-cigarette (or other item, such as a spare cartridge,therein). The configuration of the bottom of the tube 132A is explainedin more detail later on.

Note that the battery 151 is relatively large—comparable in size, forexample, with the opening 132 and associated tube 132A for receiving ane-cigarette. Consequently the battery 151 of the pack 100 will usuallyhave significantly greater electrical storage capacity than a batteryprovided in an e-cigarette which may be accommodated within the pack100. This allows the battery in the e-cigarette to be re-charged,typically several times, using the battery unit 150 of pack 100, withoutthe need for any additional, external power supply (such as a mainsconnection). This can be very convenient for a user, who may be in alocation or situation which does not provide a ready connection to themains power supply.

In order to support this re-charging of an e-cigarette stored within thepack 100, the bottom portion of the tube 132A is located within ane-cigarette connection assembly 700. The e-cigarette connection assembly700 allows an electrical connection to be made between the pack 100 andthe electrical contacts 900A, 900B on the cap 225 of the e-cigarettewhen the e-cigarette is inserted into the tube 132A, thus allowing thee-cigarette battery to be charged using the pack battery 151. This isexplained in more detail below.

The insert 130 is provided with printed circuit boards (PCBs) 135 and160. The PCB 160 provides the main control functionality of the pack andis attached to tubes 131A, 131B by screws 136A, 136B, thereby retainingthe PCB in the appropriate position relative to the tubes 131A, 131B. Amini-USB (or micro-USB) connector 164 is provided at the bottom of thePCB 160, and is accessible through a corresponding aperture in theunderside of the housing 125 of the pack body 120. This USB connector164 can be used to connect an external power supply to the pack 100 forre-charging the battery 151 (and also any e-cigarette located in tube132A). The USB connector 164 may also be used, if so desired, forcommunications with the electronics of the pack 100 and/or e-cigarette,for example to update software on the PCB 160 and/or to download usagedata from the e-cigarette, etc. The PCB 160 is further provided with aset of physical and mechanical connectors 161 for retaining andoperating the LED lighting 128. In particular, the PCB 160 controls theLED lighting element 128 to provide an indication to a user about thecurrent charging situation of the pack 100, plus any other suitableinformation.

The PCB 135 is located on the outside of re-charging tube 132A,relatively near the top, i.e. closer to the hole or opening 132 forreceiving an e-cigarette for re-charging. This PCB 135 incorporates atleast one light emitting diode (LED), which is used to illuminate theannular light element 133. The PCB 135, LED and annular light element133 are used to provide an indication to a user about the currentcharging situation of an e-cigarette located within tube 132A pack 100,plus any other suitable information.

FIGS. 9A and 9B show (in an exploded view) the e-cigarette connectionassembly 700 in more detail in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure. The e-cigarette connection assembly 700 comprises a base702, which is located on the base of the pack 100, and a connector 703,which has two electrical contacts 704A, 704B for making an electricalconnection with the electrical contacts 900A, 900B on the cap 225 of thee-cigarette 10 when the e-cigarette 10 is inserted into the tube 132A.Specifically, the outer electrical contact 704A makes an electricalconnection with electrical contact 900A on the e-cigarette 10 and theinner electrical contact 704B makes an electrical connection with theelectrical contact 900B on the e-cigarette 10. The electrical contacts704A, 704B are connected to the PCB 160 via wires 708A, 708B and, underthe control of the PCB 160, act as positive and negative electrodes forcharging the e-cigarette 10 with power supplied from the battery 151.The electrical contacts 704A, 704B are spring-mounted on the base 702 soas to ensure good electrical connection with the electrical contacts900A, 900B on the cap 225 of the e-cigarette. Electrical conductorsconnecting the electrical contacts 704A, 704B and the wires 708A, 708Bmay extend along the surface of the base 702 or may extend through abore through the base 702, for example.

The e-cigarette connection assembly 700 further comprises a cylindricaltube 706 which is fixed to the base 702. A portion of the cylindricaltube 706 is configured to receive an end portion of the tube 132A. Theinner diameter of the portion of the cylindrical tube 706 which receivesthe end portion of the tube 132A is set such that the outer surface ofthe end portion of the tube 132A frictionally engages with the innersurface of the cylindrical tube 706. The inner surface of thecylindrical tube 706 further comprises a rib 714 which abuts the end ofthe tube 132A and ensures that only an end portion of the tube 132Ahaving a predetermined length is able to enter the cylindrical tube 706.The cylindrical tube 706 further comprises a groove 710 on its outersurface which engages with a rib 712 on the PCB 160.

When the insert 130 and e-cigarette connection assembly 700 are insertedinto the outer case 125, the base 702 abuts the bottom inner surface ofthe outer case 125. The insert 130 and e-cigarette connection assembly700 are held in place within the outer case 125 (and also in relation toone another).

It will be appreciated that the configuration and arrangement of thepack 100 and insert 130 shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are provided by way ofexample, and the skilled person will be aware of many potentialvariations—e.g. the number, position, size and/or shape of holes 131,132 may vary from one embodiment to another, likewise the associatedtubes 131A, 131B, 132A. Similarly, the details of the positioning, shapeand size of the battery unit 150, PCB 160, and other components willgenerally vary from one embodiment to another, depending upon theparticular circumstances and requirements of any given implementation.It is also noted that the shape and positioning of the electricalcontacts 704A, 704B will be adapted according to different shape andpositional configurations of electrical contacts 900A, 900B on thee-cigarette 10.

The configuration and arrangement of the pack 100 and insert 130 asdescribed above generally provide significant ease of use andconvenience for a user. Thus the e-cigarette 10 can be quickly enteredinto pack 100 for storage when not in use. Furthermore, while stored inthe pack 100, the e-cigarette 10 can be re-charged without requiring anydisassembly of the e-cigarette 10. In other words, the re-charging canuse connector 900 rather than connector 25B, hence there is no need toseparate or disassemble the body 20 from the cartomizer 30. Consequentlythe e-cigarette 10 is then available for immediate use when sodesired—e.g. without first having to disengage connector 25B from acomplementary USB charging connector and then having to re-engageconnector 25B on the body 20 with connector 25A on the cartomizer.

Nevertheless, it has been recognized there are some potential issuesarising from this ease of use and convenience. Firstly, although it isvery quick to insert an e-cigarette 10 into tube 132A for re-charging,there may also be a risk that some other (foreign) object is insertedinto tube 132A, whether by accident or perhaps deliberately. Note thatthe connection between the e-cigarette connector 900 and the packconnector 703 at the bottom of tube 132A depends only on gravity,potentially enhanced by downward pressure onto the e-cigarette from packlid 140 when closed (rather than involving some additional usermanipulation, such as required by the bayonet fitting between the body20 and the cartomizer 30 for joining connectors 25A and 25B together, orsuch as twisting for a screw fitting, or the required insertion forcefor a USB plug). Accordingly, a foreign object located within tube 132Amay form an electrical connection with connector 703 at the bottom ofthe pack 100. Depending upon the nature and material of the foreignobject, this may, for example, cause a short circuit across connector703. This can lead to potential overheating of the foreign object,including a possible fire risk, and also overly rapid depletion of thepack battery 151.

Secondly, because the pack 100 acts both as a container for storing andcarrying the e-cigarette 10 when not in use, and also as a re-chargingsystem, the e-cigarette 10 will therefore connect to the re-chargingsystem on a frequent basis—in effect, after every use by a user. Incontrast, with a dedicated USB re-charger, which does not provideconvenient storage for the e-cigarette, the user will typically onlyre-charge the pack when the battery is depleted, or at leastsignificantly depleted. However, conventional lithium ion batteriesgenerally have a limited lifetime in terms of number of re-chargingcycles, after which they start to degrade and have lower storagecapacity. Although this number of re-charging cycles may be high,typically between 300 and 600, such a limit might be reached in monthsif a battery is re-charged every day.

FIGS. 10 and 11 schematically show some components of the e-cigarette 10and pack 100, respectively, in accordance with some embodiments of thedisclosure. These components help to improve the safety and reliabilityof the various charging mechanisms provided for the e-cigarette 10 andpack 100, including with regard to the two particular concernsidentified above.

FIG. 10 schematically depicts some electrical components of thee-cigarette 10. In addition to the connector 900, battery 210 andconnector 25B, which have already been discussed in relation to FIGS. 5and 6, FIG. 10 also shows a tip charge PCB 1002, a temperature sensor1006, and an over-current protection PCB 1000. It is noted that for thesake of clarity, not all electrical components of the e-cigarette 10 areincluded in FIG. 10—e.g. some of the components already shown in FIG. 6have been omitted.

The over-current protection PCB 1000 monitors the current flowingthrough the connector 25B during operation of the e-cigarette 10. It isrecalled that, during use of the e-cigarette 10, the CPU 550 detectswhen a user is drawing air through the e-cigarette 10 using informationfrom the sensor unit 215 and causes current to flow to the heater 365 inthe cartomiser 30 via the connector 25B. If there is a short circuit atthe heater 365, for example, there will be a sudden increase in currentflowing through the heater 365 and connector 25B. The short circuitmight occur for reasons such as an electrical fault at the heater 365,the heating circuit having been tampered with, excessive moisture makingcontact with the heater, etc. A short circuit of the heater may riskdamage occurring to the e-cigarette device 10 or, worse, injury to theuser.

Accordingly, the over-current protection PCB 1000, upon detection of acurrent through the connector 25B which is deemed too high (that is,above a certain predetermined threshold), causes the supply of currentfrom the battery 210 to the connector 25B to be cut. This reduces thechance of damage to the e-cigarette 10 and of injury to the user due tosuch a short circuit.

The predetermined current threshold is set such that dangerously highcurrents indicative of a short circuit are cut off, but normal,non-dangerous variations in the current are not cut off (thus avoidingunnecessary inconvenience to the user). For example, the threshold forthe current supply from the battery 210 to the heater 365 may be setsomewhere in the range 40-250 milliAmps, or more precisely, in the range60-120 milliAmps, such that any current greater than this thresholdamount triggers a circuit cut off.

The PCB 1000 may also cut off if the voltage of the battery 210 is toolow, for example, below about 3.1 or 3.2V. This generally indicates thatthe battery is in a state of low charge, and this could potentiallyprevent correct (or satisfactory) operation of the heater coil.

The over-current protection PCB 1000 may also monitor current flowingthrough the connector 25B, and/or voltage applied at connector 25B,during re-charging of the e-cigarette 10 via USB connector 25B. Forexample, the expected voltage applied by a USB charger to the USBconnector 25B may be 5V, so that the over-voltage cut-off might be set,by way of illustration, at 6V. The over-current protection PCB 1000therefore provides protection for the e-cigarette 10 both duringre-charging (against excessive re-charging voltage), and also duringnormal operation (against excessive current draw).

The tip charge PCB 1002 acts as a controller for monitoring andcontrolling power flow from the pack 100 to the e-cigarette battery 210during re-charging. For example, the tip charge PCB may cut off thepower flow from the pack 100 to the battery 210 if the voltage and/orcurrent received via connector 900 is too high—e.g. exceeds apredetermined threshold for voltage or current. The thresholds can beset to tolerate the full range of normal operating conditions, but totrigger (cut off) before a level that might start to cause damage to thee-cigarette 10.

The tip charge PCB 1002 is connected to the temperature sensor 1006. Thetemperature sensor 1006 is in thermal contact with the battery 210 so asto be responsive to the temperature of the battery 210. (Thustemperature sensor 1006 is normally an additional device to temperaturesensor 563 shown in FIG. 6, since the former is positioned to measurethe temperature of the battery 210, while the latter is positioned tomeasure the temperature of the airflow into the e-cigarette.)

As the battery 210 is (re)charged using the connector 900 (that is, whenthe e-cigarette 10 is inserted into the tube 132A of the pack 100 sothat the connector 900 makes electrical contact with the connector 703of the pack), the battery will normally heat up. However, if the battery210 gets too hot (perhaps due to a fault in the battery or because theambient temperature is very warm), this may cause damage to thee-cigarette 10, to the pack 100 or, worse, injury to the user. Also, ifthe battery 210 is very cold (perhaps due to the ambient temperaturebeing very cold), then attempting to charge the battery 210 may causedamage to it. Thus, the tip charge PCB 1002 monitors the temperature ofthe battery 210 using information generated by the temperature sensor1006. If the temperature gets too hot (that is, above a predeterminedupper threshold) or too cold (that is, below a predetermined lowerthreshold), the tip charge PCB 1002 cuts off the current supply to thebattery 210 from the connector 900. This reduces the chance of damage tothe e-cigarette 10 or pack 100 or of injury to the user due to thebattery 210 overheating, as well as reducing the chance of damage to thebattery 210 by charging it when it is too cold.

The predetermined upper temperature threshold is set such that hightemperatures indicative of potential battery overheating result incurrent to the battery 210 being cut off, whereas lower increases inbattery temperature do not result in the current to the battery 210being cut off. Similarly, the predetermined lower temperature thresholdis set such that low temperatures which could damage the battery 210result in current to the battery 210 being cut off, whereas smallerreductions in battery temperature do not result in current to thebattery 210 being cut off. Examples of the upper and lower temperaturethresholds are about 60° C. and about 0° C., or about 45° C. and about10° C., respectively.

The tip charge PCB 1002 also ensures that current is only supplied tothe battery 210 for a predetermined time period before the current iscut off. This ensures that the battery 210 is not subjected toovercharging, in which the battery 210 continues to be charged eventhough it is already at full capacity (which might damage the battery210). The predetermined time period is set so that the battery can becharged to its full capacity (maximizing the length of time that theuser can use the e-cigarette 10 without having to recharge it), but alsoavoiding overcharging of the battery 210. For example, the predeterminedtime period may be set somewhere in the range 1 to 4 hours, such asbetween 1 and 2 hours.

Overall therefore, the over-current protection PCB 1000 and/or the tipcharging PCB 1002 provide protection based on the parameters ordimensions set out below.

-   -   time—there is a threshold for a maximum re-charge duration.    -   temperature—there are upper and lower thresholds for a maximum        and minimum battery temperature respectively. These thresholds        are applied in particular when battery 210 is being re-charged,        but may also be applied during normal operation of the        device—i.e. when the user is inhaling through e-cigarette 10 to        activate heater 365 and produce vapor output.    -   voltage—there is a threshold for a maximum voltage applied        during re-charge.    -   current—there is a threshold for a maximum current flowing        during re-charge and/or for a maximum current flowing from the        body 20 to the cartomizer 30 during normal operation of the        e-cigarette 10.

In the event that any of the above thresholds is breached, then there-charge (or operation of the device as appropriate) can be terminatedby activating a suitable cut-off. It will be appreciated that protectionfor each of the above four parameters or dimensions may generally beimplemented as appropriate in the over-current protection PCB 1000and/or in the tip charge PCB 1002, where the former relates to there-charge or normal operation through connector 25B, while the latterrelates to re-charge through connector 900.

Note that there is certain overlap or redundancy between the differentdimensions of the protection. For example, the cut-off of the currentsupply to the battery 210 after a predetermined time period has elapsedwill generally help to reduce the chance of the battery 210 becoming toohot during re-charging. However, this overlap gives greater protection,since if, for any reason, the temperature-monitoring function does notwork correctly, then because current is only supplied to the battery 210for the predetermined time period (rather than indefinitely), this maystill prevent the battery from overheating.

The tip charge PCB 1002 may also act to help preserve the operationallifetime of the battery 210. Thus when the e-cigarette battery 210 isplaced into the pack, tip charge PCB 1002 may detect the current voltageof the battery 210, and if this exceeds a predetermined chargingthreshold, the battery is not re-charged. In other words, in suchcircumstances, the tip charge PCB prevents the battery 210 fromreceiving external power from the pack 100 (akin to the situation if thePCB 1002 receives an out-of-spec temperature reading from thetemperature sensor 1006).

If we assume that the battery 210 has a maximum voltage of 4.2V whenfully charged, which is typical for a lithium ion battery, then thepredetermined charging threshold may be in the range 4.0-4.1V, forexample, 4.05V. At this level of charge, the battery 210 will generallyappear to the user as fully charged. Furthermore, recharging back up to4.2V will not deliver any significant increase in usage for theconsumer, but may over time diminish the state of the battery. Thus theadditional re-charging (if the threshold were not utilized) would tendto increase the rate of aging of the battery 210, especially sincerepeated charging near the maximum voltage level of the battery tends tobe most deleterious for the battery lifetime.

It will be appreciated that there are various ways for setting thepredetermined charging threshold. For example, the predeterminedcharging threshold may be specified as an absolute voltage, or it may bespecified relative to the maximum voltage of battery 210. Onepossibility is that the predetermined threshold may be defined as acertain proportion of the maximum voltage, e.g. the predeterminedthreshold may be in the range 90-98%, 92-96%, or approximately 95% ofthe (nominal) maximum voltage. Thus if the predetermined chargingthreshold is 95% and the maximum voltage is 4.2V, then no (re)chargingis performed if the voltage of battery 210 is above 3.99V. Anotherpossibility is that the predetermined threshold may be defined as anoffset from (below) the maximum voltage, e.g. the predeterminedthreshold may be an offset in the range 0.1-0.25V or 0.15-0.2V. Thus ifthe predetermined charging threshold is, for example, 0.15V below the(nominal) maximum voltage of 4.2V, then no (re)charging will beperformed if the voltage of battery 210 is above 4.05V.

This functionality to protect the battery lifetime may be implemented ina different location from the tip charge PCB 1002, depending upon therequirements of any given implementation. For example, the functionalitymay be incorporated into the microcontroller 555 of the e-cigarette 10.A further possibility is that the functionality is incorporated into thepack 100 (instead of, or possibly in addition to, implementing thefunctionality in the e-cigarette 10 itself). This is discussed in moredetail below.

More generally, the various functionality shown in FIG. 10 may beimplemented using separate components. For example, the tip charge PCB1002 may be implemented as a separate component such as a BQ24040 PCBfrom Texas Instruments (this can help support the use of off-the-shelfcomponents). Alternatively, one or both of the tip charge andover-current protection PCBs 1002, 1000, may be integrated as part ofthe microcontroller 555 (see FIG. 6). A further possibility is that thetip charge and over-current protection PCBs 1002, 1000 are integratedtogether into a single device which is separate from the microcontroller555.

As described above, the e-cigarette is provided with two contacts thatcan be used for re-charging, namely connector 900 (for charging via pack100), and also connector 25B, which can be used for charging via a(micro) USB connector when the e-cigarette 10 is in a disassembled state(the body 20 and cartomizer 30 separated). Connector 25B can also beused for supplying power from the body to the cartomizer when thee-cigarette is in an assembled state. The tip charge PCB 1002 providesprotection and control in relation to charging the e-cigarette viaconnector 900. The over-current protection PCB 1000 provides protectionand control in relation to supplying power from the body 20 to thecartomizer.

The over-current protection PCB 1000 may also provide protection andcontrol in relation to charging the e-cigarette from an external powersupply via connector 25B, analogous to the protection provided by tipcharge PCB 1002 when re-charging via connector 900. For example, thisprotection and control may involve monitoring the current and/or voltagesupplied from connector 25B, and cutting off the power supply to thebattery if the current or voltage exceeds a respective limit. Further,the over-current protection PCB may cut off power if the duration (time)of charging exceeds some threshold level, or if the temperature of thee-cigarette is too hot or too cold. Note that over-current protectionPCB 1000 may have access to temperature sensor 1006 for making thislatter determination, or may be provided with its own, additionaltemperature sensor (not shown in FIG. 10).

FIG. 11 schematically shows some electrical components of the rechargepack 100 in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. Inaddition to the connector 164, battery 151 and connector 703, as alreadydiscussed in relation to FIGS. 8 and 9, FIG. 11 also shows anover-current cut-off unit 1100, an over-voltage cut-off unit 1102, amultipoint control unit (MCU) 1104, a regulator PCB 1106, a temperaturesensor 1108 and a protection circuit module (PCM) 1110. Similar to FIG.10, certain components of the pack 100 have been omitted from FIG. 11for the sake of clarity.

The pack 100 supports three main charging operations (modes). (1) Whenthe connector 164 is electrically connected to a power source (such as aUSB charging device), power flows from the power source via theconnector 164 to the battery 151. This allows the battery 151 to becharged. (2) When the connector 164 is electrically connected to a powersource (such as a USB charging device), power also flows from the powersource via the connectors 164 and 703 to an e-cigarette 10 (if present).This allows the battery 210 of the e-cigarette 10 to be charged(simultaneously with the pack battery 151). (3) When the connector 900of an e-cigarette 10 is electrically connected to the connector 703, butthere is no external power supply for the pack at connector 164, powerflows from the battery 151 to the e-cigarette 10 via the connector 703.This allows the battery 210 of the e-cigarette 10 to be charged. Thesepower flows are generally controllable by one or more of theover-current cut-off 1100, over-voltage cut-off 1102, regulating PCB1106, PCM 1110 and MCU 1104. The control of the battery charging ande-cigarette charging power flows will now be described in more detail.

The regulating PCB 1106 is the principal controller of power forcharging the battery 151 in that it regulates the current and voltagesupplied to the battery 151 during charging. In some embodiments, theregulating PCB 1106 is implemented using a MicrOne ME4057 device;however, other implementations may use different devices (or mayintegrate the functionality of the regulating PCB 1106 into othercomponents).

The current and voltage are regulated by PCB 1106 such that they remainsubstantially constant at predetermined values, which are selected toprovide efficient, timely and safe charging of the battery 151 and tohelp enhance or at least maintain the battery's long-term lifespan (thelong-time lifespan being related to the total number of times arechargeable battery can be charged and recharged before it startspermanently losing its capacity).

When the battery 151 is a lithium ion (Li-ion) battery, thepredetermined values of the current and voltage may be about 400-500 mAand about 4.2V respectively during charging. The predetermined valuesmay also change over the course of a single battery charge. For example,when the battery 151 is first charged, the predetermined value of thecurrent may be lower. Then, at a later time, when the battery has storeda certain amount of charge, the predetermined value of the current maybe stepped up to about 400-500 mA, as above. This prevents the battery151 from being subjected to a relatively large current when it iscompletely discharged (or close to being completely discharged), whichmight otherwise cause damage to the battery and reduce its long-termlifespan. Other implementations may have a different maximum current orvoltage supply, such as somewhere in the region 250-600 mA and somewherein the region 3-6V (respectively).

The regulating PCB 1106 is also connected to the temperature sensor1108. The temperature sensor 1108 is in thermal contact with the battery151 so as to be responsive to the temperature of the battery 151. As thebattery 151 is charged using power supplied via the connector 164, thebattery will normally heat up. However, if the battery 151 gets too hot(perhaps due to a fault in the battery 151 or because the ambienttemperature is very warm), this may cause damage to the battery 151 orpack 100 or, worse, injury to the user. Also, if the battery 151 is verycold (perhaps due to the ambient temperature being very cold), thenattempting to charge the battery 151 may also cause damage to thebattery 151. Thus, the regulating PCB 1106 monitors the temperature ofthe battery 151 using information provided by the temperature sensor1108. If the temperature gets too hot (that is, above a certainpredetermined upper threshold) or too cold (that is, below apredetermined lower threshold), then the regulating PCB 1106 cuts offthe current supply to the battery 210. This reduces the chance of damageto the battery 151 or pack 100 and of injury to the user due the battery151 overheating, and reduces the chance of damage to the battery 151 bycharging it when it is too cold.

The predetermined upper temperature threshold is set such that hightemperatures indicative of battery overheating result in current to thebattery 151 being cut off, but normal (routine) increases in batterytemperature, which do not risk damage, do not result in current to thebattery 151 being cut off. Similarly, the predetermined lowertemperature threshold is set such that for low temperatures, which mightresult in damage to the battery 151, the current to the battery 151 iscut off. However, falls in battery temperature that remain within thespecified normal operating limits do not result in current to thebattery 151 being cut off. Examples of the upper and lower temperaturethresholds are about 45° C. and about −5° C., respectively. However, forsome batteries, the upper temperature threshold may be up to about 60°C. and the lower temperature threshold may be down to about −20° C.Typically the upper threshold is in the range 45 to 60° C., while thelower threshold is in the range 0 to −20° C.

In some implementations, the pack 100 may be provided with a temperaturesensor that measures ambient temperature within the pack (typicallyclose to the location of any re-charging e-cigarette 10 inside thepack). Again, this sensor may trigger a power cut-off if the temperatureis found to rise above a certain threshold, such as 50° C. Note thatsuch a temperature sensor may be provided in addition to or instead oftemperature sensor 1108 as shown in FIG. 11 (which is intended tomeasure primarily the temperature of the battery 151).

The regulating PCB 1106 may also perform the voltage check on thee-cigarette 10 mentioned above. In particular, the regulating PCB 1106may detect the voltage level of battery 210 within the e-cigarette 10,typically based on the voltage appearing on contacts 900A, 900B asconnected to connector 703, and then decide to supply power to thee-cigarette 10 to re-charge the battery 210 providing the voltage levelof battery 210 is not already above the predetermined charging threshold(which may be set in the various manners described above for e-cigarette10). This charging threshold protection may also be implemented by someother component in the pack 100 (other than regulating PCB 1106).

In addition to the current and voltage control implemented by theregulating PCB 1106, the pack 100 is provided with further safeguardsagainst excessive voltages or currents that are too high and which maytherefore cause damage to the battery 151 or other components of thepack (or injury to the user). For example, pack 100 also includes theover-current cut-off unit 1100 and the over-voltage cut-off unit 1102.

The over-current cut-off unit 1100 cuts off the power supplied from theconnector 164 to the other components of the pack 100 (including theregulating PCB 1106) when it detects that the current exceeds apredetermined threshold. Even though the current supplied to the battery151 is regulated by the regulating PCB 1106 (as already described), theover-current cut-off unit 1100 provides an extra layer of protection tothe battery 151 and other pack components. For example, the over-currentcut-off unit 1100 helps to reduce the risk of damage to the componentsof the pack in the case that too much current is supplied via theconnector 164 (this could happen, for example, if an unsuitable chargingdevice which supplies too much current is connected to the connector164, or if one of the components of the pack short circuits).

The over-current cut-off unit 1100 may be implemented, for example,using a thermal resettable fuse, which trips out by entering a highimpedance state when the current exceeds the predetermined threshold. Ata later time, when the temperature cools down, the thermal resettablefuse re-enters a low impedance state again, thereby allowing current toflow again (so that use of the pack 100 may be resumed). Thepredetermined current threshold is set such that a high current whichmight cause damage is cut off, but such that variations in the currentwithin normal and acceptable operating parameters do not produce acut-off. For example, the predetermined current threshold may be set atabout 1 amp.

The over-voltage cut-off unit 1102 cuts off the power supplied from theconnector 164 to the other components of the pack 100 (including theregulating PCB 1106) if it detects that the supply voltage has exceededa predetermined threshold. Even though the voltage supplied to thebattery 151 is regulated by the regulating PCB 1106 (as describedabove), the over-voltage cut-off unit 1100 provides an extra layer ofprotection for the battery 151 and other pack components, thus reducingthe risk of damage to the components in the pack (or potential injury tothe user) in the case that too high a voltage is supplied via theconnector 164. Such a high voltage might occur, for example, if anunsuitable charging device that supplies too high a voltage were to beconnected to the connector 164. The predetermined voltage threshold isset such that a dangerously high voltage is cut off (i.e. one that mightdamage the device, or possibly cause injury to a user), but variationsof the voltage within the normal (non-dangerous) operating range are notcut off. For example, the predetermined voltage threshold may be set atabout 6V, thereby ensuring that a 5V USB charging device will nottrigger the over-voltage cut-off unit 1102, but that higher voltageswill trigger the over-voltage cut-off unit 1102.

The PCM 1110, which sits between the regulating PCB and the battery 151,monitors the current and voltage between the battery 151 and othercomponents of the pack (including the regulating PCB 1106) and trips theelectrical connection between the battery 151 and the other packcomponents in the case that the current or voltage moves outside apredetermined current or voltage range (respectively). This monitoringis performed both for charging the battery 151 (from an external powersupply via connector 164), and also for discharging the battery 151 (tosupply power to battery 210 in the e-cigarette 10 via connector 703, aswell as to other components in the pack, such as lighting 128). Inparticular, during charging or discharging of the battery 151, if eitherthe current or voltage exceeds a predetermined upper threshold, then theelectrical connection between the battery 151 and other pack componentsis tripped (cut off), i.e. the flow of power between the battery 151 andthe other pack components is prevented or at least very significantlyreduced. This helps to reduce the risk of too much current or voltagebeing supplied to or from the battery 151 and the problems associatedwith this (such as damage to the battery 151 and/or other components,injury to the user, etc.). The threshold for the over-voltage may beset, for example, at about 4.3V, while the threshold for over-currentmay be set, for example, in the range 1.5-2.5 amps, e.g. at about 1.8amps.

Also, during discharging of the battery 151, e.g. to re-charge battery210 in the e-cigarette 10, if the voltage from the battery 151 fallsbelow a predetermined lower threshold, then the electrical connectionbetween the battery 151 and the other pack components, such as connector703, is cut off. This helps to prevent damage to the battery 151 thatmight otherwise occur due the continued drawing of current from thebattery when it has a low remaining capacity and is outputting a lowvoltage (this can happen with certain rechargeable batteries such asLi-ion batteries).

The PCM 1110 may comprise a separate PCB or may (for example) beintegrated as part of the battery 151. Due to the position of the PCM1110 within the electrical circuit (that is, between the battery 151 andother pack components), the PCM 1110 is able to detect voltage/currentabnormalities which may not be detectable by the othervoltage/current-controlling pack components (such as the regulator PCB1106, over-current cut-off unit 1100 and over-voltage cut-off unit1102). The PCM 1110 thus adds an extra layer of protection against therisk of damage to the battery 151 or any of the other pack components(or e-cigarette 10), and against potential injury to the user caused byabnormal current or voltage values.

The PCM 1110 may comprise any standard PCB suitable for detectingwhether or not an applied voltage and/or current is within certainpredetermined limits. Furthermore, the PCM 1110 may comprise ametal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) for detectingwhen the current exceeds the predetermined current threshold.

The MCU 1104 ensures that current is only supplied to the battery 151during charging for a predetermined time period before it is cut off.This helps to ensure that the battery 151 is not subject toovercharging, in which the battery 151 is continuously charged eventhough it is at full capacity (this may damage the battery 151). Thepredetermined time period is set to allow the battery to be charged toits full capacity (thereby maximizing the length of time between chargesfor which the user can use the pack 100, such as to recharge thee-cigarette 10), but also avoiding overcharging of the battery 151. Forexample, the predetermined time period may be set somewhere in the range2 to 8 hours, such as between 4 and 6 hours.

The cut-off of the current supply to the battery 151 after thepredetermined time period has elapsed may also help reduce the chance ofthe battery 151 becoming too hot or too cold. Although this is managedby the temperature-monitoring function of the regulating PCB 1106 (asalready described), if, for any reason, the temperature-monitoringfunction does not work correctly, then, because current is only suppliedto the battery 151 for the predetermined time period (rather thanindefinitely), the above-discussed problems associated with continuouslysupplying current to the battery 151 when it is too hot may at least bealleviated.

The MCU 1104 also ensures that current is only supplied from the battery151 during charging of an e-cigarette 10 via the connector 703 for apredetermined time before it is cut off. This provides an extra layer ofprotection to help prevent overcharging of the battery 210 of thee-cigarette 10 (in addition to the timed current cut-off function of thetip charge PCB 1002 of the e-cigarette 10 itself, as described above).For example, the predetermined time period may be set somewhere in therange 2 to 6 hours, such as between 3 and 5 hours. Note that thiscut-off applies irrespective of whether the current is being supplied tothe e-cigarette 10 via the external power source and connector 164 orfrom the pack battery 151.

The overcharging of the e-cigarette battery 210 may be avoided primarilyby the predetermined e-cigarette charge time of the tip charge PCB 1002,with the predetermined e-cigarette charge time of the MCU 1104 thenbeing set at the same or a somewhat larger value so as to act as aback-up in the event that the timer of the MCU 1104 experiences a faultand fails to cut off the current at the appropriate time. Thus,overcharging of the e-cigarette 10 can be avoided even if there is afailure in the timer function of the e-cigarette 10.

A further protection mechanism implemented in the pack is to address theconcern noted above that a foreign object can be introduced relativelyeasily into tube 132A. Furthermore, the foreign object may form anelectrical connection with re-charge connector 703, especially sincethis does not require any particular manipulation, such asscrewing—(rather such connection can be formed just by gravity.Depending on the nature of the foreign object, this may potentially leadto (excessive) current being supplied through connector 703 to theforeign object, which might therefore overheat.

In order to provide protection against such a foreign object, the packmonitors the charging current provided to the e-cigarette 10 viaconnector 703. This monitoring may be done, for example, by MCU 1104 orPCM 1110, or by some other component (not shown in FIG. 11) that sitsdirectly on the circuit path to connector 703.

The typical (nominal) charging current from the pack 100 to thee-cigarette 10 is in the range 75-100 milliAmps (mA). A protectionthreshold is set sufficiently higher than this normal charging level,for example at 200 mA, to allow for charging within the normal operatingrange plus a reasonable margin, but to minimize the risk of an excessivecurrent supply to (and hence overheating in) the object being charged.It will be appreciated that this protection threshold may be set invarious manners, such as by using an absolute voltage level (such as 200mA); or by using an offset from the nominal charging current (such as anexcess current of 100 mA or more above the nominal charging current); orby using a relative offset from the nominal charging current (such as anexcess current of 100% or more in relation to the nominal chargingcurrent).

If the measured (monitored) current exceeds the specified protectionthreshold, then the protection mechanism triggers to cut out the currentto the connector 703. Note that this cut-out not only provides a safetymechanism against a foreign object being inserted into tube 132A, but italso provides a safety mechanism against a faulty e-cigarette 10 beinginserted for re-charging into tube 132A, e.g. an e-cigarette in which ashort circuit has somehow developed (the temperature sensor 1006 alsoprovides some protection against such a faulty e-cigarette 10).

This protection threshold may be implemented, for example, using athermal resettable fuse, such as discussed above in relation toover-current cut-off 1100. When the protection threshold is exceeded,this may be indicated to the user as a fault condition on the pack byusing lights 128 with an appropriate (predetermined) spatial and/ortemporal pattern of illumination (other fault conditions discussed abovemay be indicated with other patterns of illumination).

The re-setting of this protection threshold and associated cut-off isactivated in some embodiments by switch 152 (see FIG. 8), which detectsopening and closing of the pack lid 140. For example, if the lid 140 ofpack 100 is closed at the point of cut-off, then it is clear that thelid must be opened in order to remove any foreign body from the tube132A. Therefore, re-setting of the protection threshold may be achievedby opening the lid. Note that in some embodiments, charging of thee-cigarette 10 in pack 100 may only commence once the lid has beenclosed, again as detected by switch 152. Thus re-setting the protectionmechanism by opening the lid does not activate charging per se, butrather enables charging when the lid is next closed. It will beappreciated that various other reset mechanisms are feasible, forexample, an external user-activated reset switch, or an externaluser-activated on-off switch for the pack (switching off and then onagain to reset).

The foreign object protection set out above can be regarded as a form ofpassive or indirect detection, in that the protection only triggers ifan excess current is taken through connector 703. Another form ofpassive or indirect detection may be to provide a sensor to monitor thetemperature in or close to the tube 132A, thereby looking for an excesstemperature as an indication that some foreign body (or possibly adefective e-cigarette) may be present in tube 132A. It is also possibleto provide a direct or active protection mechanism, in which a positivecheck is performed by the pack to ensure that an item inserted into thetube 132A is an e-cigarette 10. In contrast to the protection set outabove, in which charging is initiated and continued unless a specificcondition occurs (excess current), in this approach charging is notinitiated (or perhaps initiated but then very quickly discontinued)unless a specific condition occurs—namely a positive outcome to thischeck.

There are various mechanisms by which such a check could be implemented.For example, the e-cigarette 10 includes a light ring located betweenthe inner contact 900B and the outer contact 900A. The e-cigarette couldbe arranged to illuminate this light ring when external power isdetected at the connector 900, and the pack could then be provided witha photosensor to detect this illumination. If the photosensor providesconfirmation of the illumination, this confirms that the inserted deviceis an e-cigarette 10, and the power supply through connector 703 toconnector 900 is continued. However, if no illumination is detected bythe photosensor, this indicates that the inserted device is not ane-cigarette 10 (but presumably some foreign body), and the power supplythrough connector 703 to connector 900 is discontinued.

Overall therefore, the pack 100 of FIG. 11 may implement a large numberof protection features such as: protection against high voltage and/orhigh current received from connector 164, and/or from power beingsupplied from connector 164 for too long; protection against the pack100 and/or battery 151 having too high (or too low) a temperature (thisprotection is relevant for all 3 of the charging modes defined above);protection against high voltage and/or high current being supplied to ane-cigarette 10 via connector 703, and/or from power being supplied tothe e-cigarette via connector 703 for too long (this current/voltage andtiming protection can apply irrespective of whether the e-cigarette isbeing re-charged by an external power supply or by pack battery 151).There may also be a cut-off implemented by PCB 1106 if the voltage ofpack battery 151 exceeds a predetermined level while the pack battery isre-charging (typically somewhere in the range 4.2-4.5V), or if thevoltage of the pack battery 151 falls below a predetermined level whilethe pack battery is discharging (to the e-cigarette or other componentsof pack). This lower voltage may be set, for example, in the range 2-3V,such as approximately 2.5V. There may also be protection against thepresence of a foreign body in the re-charging tube 132A, as describedabove.

It will be appreciated that there are many different potentialimplementations for such active protection. For example, lighting may beprovided elsewhere on the e-cigarette 10 to indicate the presence ofe-cigarette 10 in tube 132A (instead of or in addition to the tiplighting). A further possibility is that the external surface of thee-cigarette is provided with some particular marking (such as a bar codeor logo) that can be recognized and validated by the pack. A furtherpossibility is that the pack 100 and the e-cigarette 10 are providedwith some suitable communications facility, e.g. a wireless Bluetoothlink, or else some communications ability through connectors 703 and900, whereby the pack is able to confirm the identity of the e-cigarette10.

It will be appreciated that many variations in the implementation ofe-cigarette 10 and pack 100 will be apparent to a person of ordinaryskill in the art. For example, the components of FIG. 11, such as theregulating PCB 1106, PCM 1110 or MCU 1104 may be provided as individualdevices, or one or more of such components may be integrated together,for example, as part of the PCBs 160, 135 and/or 154 shown in FIG. 8.Alternatively, one or more of them may be separate components. Inaddition, the functionality may be distributed differently between thevarious components. Similarly, there are numerous potential variationsfor the connector 703 of the pack 100 and the connector 900 of thee-cigarette 10. For example, the connectors 703, 900 may vary inposition, size, shape, etc., so long as the connectors 703 and 900 areable to provide an electrical connection with each other to allowcurrent to flow from the battery 151 of the pack 100 to the battery 210of the e-cigarette 10.

The various safety components of the e-cigarette 10 and the pack 100, asdescribed above, inter alia, with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11, allcontribute to the overall control of the e-cigarette 10 and pack 100during charging of both the e-cigarette 10 and the pack 100, as well asduring normal operation of the e-cigarette by the user. This results ina rechargeable e-cigarette 10 and pack 100 that have enhancedreliability and safety. It will be appreciated that otherimplementations may incorporate only some (rather than all) of theabove-mentioned safety components of the e-cigarette 10 and/or pack 100,and/or may potentially incorporate additional safety components.

Furthermore, the approach described herein can be extended to a range ofelectronic vapor provision systems, such as heat-not-burn devices (whichmay include some plant matter or extract, for example, tobacco leaf,which is then heated or provided with steam to produce the desiredvapor). One example of such an alternative form of electronic vaporprovision system is described in US 2011/0226236, which discloses aninhaler containing an evaporator based on a composite planar structurethat incorporates both a heating mechanism and wicking mechanism.

In conclusion, this disclosure shows by way of illustration variousembodiments in which the claimed invention(s) may be practiced. Theadvantages and features of the disclosure are of a representative sampleof embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. They arepresented only to assist in understanding and to teach the claimedinvention(s). It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments,examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects of thedisclosure are not to be considered limitations on the disclosure asdefined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, andthat other embodiments may be utilized and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the claims. Various embodiments maysuitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, variouscombinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts,steps, means, etc other than those specifically described herein. Thedisclosure may include one or more other inventions not presentlyclaimed, but which may be claimed in future.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of operating a rechargeable packfor containing and recharging an e-cigarette, the rechargeable packcomprising a pack battery; a first connector which is electricallyconnectable to an external power source; a first recharging mechanismfor re-charging the pack battery using the external power source whenthe first connector is electrically connected to the external powersource; a tube for receiving an e-cigarette such that the e-cigarettecan be contained within the rechargeable pack; a second connector whichis electrically connectable to the e-cigarette when the e-cigarette isreceived within the tube; and a second recharging mechanism forre-charging the e-cigarette using the pack battery when the e-cigaretteis electrically connected to the second connector; the methodcomprising: detecting when a foreign object may be located in the tube;and responsive to the detecting, protecting against the pack batteryproviding current through the second connector.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the detecting comprises monitoring the current providedthrough the second connector.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein thedetecting comprises determining if the current provided through thesecond connector exceeds a predetermined threshold.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the detecting comprises attempting and failing to finda signal associated with the presence of an e-cigarette in the tube. 5.The method of claim 4, wherein the signal is an optical signal.
 6. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the signal is an electrical signal.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein for normal use of the rechargeable pack, thetube has a substantially vertical orientation, and an e-cigarettereceived into the tube engages the second connector under the force ofgravity.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable packcomprises a lid and a switch for detecting opening and closing of thelid, the method further comprising: opening the lid to reset therechargeable pack such that current may be provided across the secondconnector when the lid is next closed; and removing the foreign object.9. A rechargeable pack for containing and recharging an electronic vaporprovision system, the rechargeable pack comprising: a pack battery; afirst connector which is electrically connectable to an external powersource; a first recharging mechanism for re-charging the pack batteryusing the external power source when the first connector is electricallyconnected to the external power source; a tube for receiving anelectronic vapor provision system such that the electronic vaporprovision system can be contained within the rechargeable pack; a secondconnector which is electrically connectable to the electronic vaporprovision system when the electronic vapor provision system is receivedwithin the tube; and a second recharging mechanism for re-charging theelectronic vapor provision system using the pack battery when theelectronic vapor provision system is electrically connected to thesecond connector, wherein rechargeable pack is configured to detect whena foreign object may be located in the tube and, responsive to detectingthe foreign object in the tube, to protect against the pack batteryproviding current through the second connector.
 10. The rechargeablepack of claim 9, wherein the rechargeable pack is configured to detectthe foreign object in the tube by monitoring the current providedthrough the second connector.
 11. The rechargeable pack of claim 10,wherein the rechargeable pack is configured to detect the foreign objectin the tube by determining if the current provided through the secondconnector exceeds a predetermined threshold.
 12. The rechargeable packof claim 9, wherein the rechargeable pack is configured to detect theforeign object in the tube by attempting and failing to find a signalassociated with the presence of an electronic vapor provision system inthe tube.
 13. The rechargeable pack of claim 12, wherein the signal isan optical signal.
 14. The rechargeable pack of claim 12, wherein thesignal is an electrical signal.
 15. The rechargeable pack of claim 9,wherein for normal use of the rechargeable pack, the tube has asubstantially vertical orientation, and an electronic vapor provisionsystem received into the tube engages the second connector under theforce of gravity.
 16. The rechargeable pack of claim 9, wherein therechargeable pack further comprises a lid and a switch for detectingopening and closing of the lid, and wherein opening the lid resets therechargeable pack such that current may be provided across the secondconnector when the lid is next closed after the foreign object has beenremoved.